Another delay in repairing massive downtown sinkhole due to wrong kind of dirt

PITTSBURGH — Yes, there is another delay in repairing the massive sinkhole in Downtown Pittsburgh that partially swallowed a Port Authority bus four months ago today.

On Oct. 28, 2019, the region was captivated by the sinkhole. It became a viral sensation and the subject of memes, ornaments, T-shirts and Halloween costumes.

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And the road won’t be reopening any time soon.

City leaders told Target 11’s Rick Earle the latest issue involves dirt. It was poured into the hole after the ground gave way in an effort to protect the utility lines from further damage.

However, the city’s chief operations officer said it is not the right kind of dirt to support a street, so it will now have to be removed and replaced with new material.

That should start in a few weeks. The repair project was initially supposed to take only two months, but delays have taken a major toll.

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Mayor Bill Peduto said Friday that it’s a very complex intersection with a number of utilities, so the repairs will take some time.

Officials won’t commit to a hard date, but they said it should be reopened by May.

City paying up months after massive sinkhole partially swallowed PAT bus in Downtown Pittsburgh City paying up months after massive sinkhole partially swallowed PAT bus in Downtown Pittsburgh

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